First time ever in my adult life... tanned legs!

[Ms Grace]

It's summer in Sydney and I've been out and about in skirts or shorts pretty much every day. And wow, my legs actually have some colour in them for the first time I can remember since ever!

When I hit puberty I became so self conscious about my hairy legs I rarely wore anything other than long pants meaning that I always had two white popsicle chicken legs. Even on the few odd occasions I wore shorts outdoor, the UV was never strong enough to penetrate the hairy hairiness so my legs stayed white even during summer. But now the combo of smooth legs and shirts/shorts and summery sun means tanned legs since the first time since I was about 11.

I've had a few other areas tan up too - wearing more singlets and camis means my shoulders, upper arms and upper bosom/chest area is no longer a pasty white colour. For some reason the tan lines makes my body look much more feminine.

Not earth shattering news I know but I thought I'd share.

[Elsa Delyth]

Nice. I'm the same, except that I constantly, and always wore socks, so my legs are hairless and smooth up to the sock line, about three quarters the way up my calves. The rest of my legs are full of goosebumps, unfortunately, but I'm hoping that the shaving and moisturizing will help reduce them some.

[Jo-is-amazing]

I know how you feel Grace!!!!
I'm in Byron Bay, and for the first time ever, silly old jeans wearing me has beautiful tanned legs. I love them!!!!!
(also skirts, dresses and shorts are like a million degrees cooler to wear than jeans, so it's a plus no matter what way you look at it!)

[Steph34]

I personally think light skin is beautiful. I associate tanned skin with short-term thinking; many females think it looks better now, but what about the long-term consequences? 80 percent of skin aging and nearly all skin cancers are caused by ultraviolet radiation, mostly the same UVA rays that cause tanning. Vitamin D produced from sunlight is a steroid and often has anabolic and androgenic effects, even in some cis women. Vitamin D can hinder feminization by "solidifying" the old, male skeletal structure and replacing fat with lean tissue. Even if not for my body hair problem, I would prefer long clothing to shield myself from sunlight and harsh fluorescent lighting. I myself do not want to look more masculine, age faster, or get skin cancer and I doubt most others here do either.

[michelle gee]

We need pics please!  (Only the tanned legs no hairy pics).

[Ms Grace]

@elsa - uh oh, sock tan lines!!

@jo - mmmm, Byron Bay!

@steph - I'm talking about a bit of natural colour not the roasted turkey variety of tanning. The Australian sun will tear strips off you in summer time, ain't no way I'm sunbaking in that anyway (unlike the crazy young thing in the local park yesterday working on her melonoma at high noon). As for vitamin D my endo is always freaking out that mine is too low anyway.

@michelle - we'll see!

[Hikari]

Good luck with the tan lol just thinking about it has caused my pale skin to burn lol

There won't be much tanning for me ever, just buring and blisters.

[katrinaw]

It's summer in Sydney and I've been out and about in skirts or shorts pretty much every day. And wow, my legs actually have some colour in them for the first time I can remember since ever!

When I hit puberty I became so self conscious about my hairy legs I rarely wore anything other than long pants meaning that I always had two white popsicle chicken legs. Even on the few odd occasions I wore shorts outdoor, the UV was never strong enough to penetrate the hairy hairiness so my legs stayed white even during summer. But now the combo of smooth legs and shirts/shorts and summery sun means tanned legs since the first time since I was about 11.

I've had a few other areas tan up too - wearing more singlets and camis means my shoulders, upper arms and upper bosom/chest area is no longer a pasty white colour. For some reason the tan lines makes my body look much more feminine.

Not earth shattering news I know but I thought I'd share.

I have bikini lines, pale against the semi tanned (still somewhat redish, got fair skin!)... legs starting to tan too... Yay, also got a back tan going following the low cut (back) tops and dresses - love it 

L Katy

[Steph34]

@steph - I'm talking about a bit of natural colour not the roasted turkey variety of tanning. The Australian sun will tear strips off you in summer time, ain't no way I'm sunbaking in that anyway (unlike the crazy young thing in the local park yesterday working on her melonoma at high noon). As for vitamin D my endo is always freaking out that mine is too low anyway.

I am not sure if those are dark spots on your face, but if so then you clearly got too much sun at some point. Whenever I get even a little sun, I see large, dark and ugly flat moles develop. I might even pay to have some removed at some point; they are so bad. Skin cancer runs in my family. It is the UVA (tanning) rays that cause skin aging because they penetrate deeply, not the UVB (burning) rays which cause superficial damage. I think I will look better, both short and long term, without getting enough sun to darken the skin.  Also for those of us who have not yet received their highest dose of HRT, low vitamin D is good because it prevents bone growth that can solidify the 'wrong' skeletal structure. Also, vitamin D can raise testosterone. I see the vitamin D as a threat to my feminizing potential and that is why I am so desperate to lose weight in the winter now, to 'prepare' myself for better feminization before my vitamin D rises again.

Learn to love lighter skin; it will thank you later. 

[Elsa Delyth]

Just looks like she has freckles to me. Both my dad and sister have freckles.

[Steph34]

Freckles are usually caused by sun exposure in people with a high level of genetic sensitivity to sunlight.

[noleen111]

I was also surprised my first summer with shaved legs how much they tanned without any leg hair.. it is surprising how much of the sun your leg hairs block... who knew?

[Zoetrope]

Hrm me too ... but it was accidental :~o

I prefer to be porcelain white <3

[Ms Grace]

Y'know Steph, you really aren't telling me anything I don't already know. We have skin cancer messages shoved down our throat ad nauseum here in Oz and I heed them. All my post was saying was "yay, I don't have white legs anymore"... so...??

[Zoetrope]

Wellll .... *modern life* is carcinogenic, sooooo ....

[katrinaw]

I regularly see a dermatologist and get pre-cancerous blemishes removed (freezed, cut or special creams), painful, but less so than... I do take a lot of care however despite my comments, the "tanning" is with sunscreen (ugh) but still encouraging.....

L Katy